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treatment. Tertiary treatment, however, could take many 

 different forms depending on the specific nature of the 

 environmental problem to be addressed. EPA believes that it is 

 impossible to produce a meaningful environmental impact statement 

 without knowing the nature of the facilities to be constructed. 

 We have discussed this matter with NMFS . During these 

 discussions, it has become clear that NMFS's real concern is to 

 ensure that plans for tertiary treatment facilities are developed 

 to the point that construction of the facilities can be 

 accomplished with minimal delays if the need arises. EPA agrees 

 that this is a desirable goal. We are working with both MWRA and 

 NMFS to ensure that contingency plans for tertiary treatment are 

 developed. It is important to note, however, that nothing in 

 EPA's biological assessment, NMFS's biological opinion, or any of 

 the other environmental reviews concerning the Boston Harbor 

 project suggests that there will be a need for tertiary 

 treatment. The development of plans for such treatment is simply 

 a precautionary measure, which will save time in the event that 

 the results of studies or monitoring unexpectedly indicate that 

 tertiary treatment is necessary. 



A number of the -recommendations propose modifications and 

 additions to the MWRA's outfall monitoring plan. That plan was 

 developed by the Outfall Monitoring Task Force. The Task Force 

 is an independent team of scientists which includes 

 representatives from academic and scientific institutions. 



